Stainless steel mesh supported TiO2 nanowires membrane with ultra-high flux for separation of oil-in-water mixtures and emulsions

A stainless steel mesh supported TiO 2 nanowires membrane is prepared by heating hydrogen titanate nanowires deposited on stainless steel mesh. The stainless steel mesh supported TiO 2 nanowires membrane exhibits superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic property. The water contact angles in air of the stainless steel mesh supported TiO 2 nanowires membrane is 0° and the underwater oil contact angles (gasoline, n-hexadecane, hexamethylene and methylbenzene) are >150°. Both of surfactant-free oil-in-water mixtures and surfactant-stabilized emulsions are separated with a high permeation flux of >10 6  L m − 2  h − 1  bar − 1 and a separation efficiency of >99.1%. The stainless steel mesh supported TiO 2 nanowires membrane exhibits good resistant to fouling, and the possible organic pollutants are easy to be removed by heat treatment and the superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic property is recovered.